News | Linking Lynx

Collaboration

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Around 50 participants attended the one-and-a-half-day conference in Zvolen. The plenary keynote was delivered by Karin Norén from Stockholm University, who spoke about gene flow between small, reintroduced populations, using the Arctic fox as an example.

In addition, the working groups met separately to exchange updates on their progress and to discuss challenges and future actions. In the plenary session, the main challenges and next steps were then consolidated. A recurring key theme was connectivity and its crucial importance for the long-term survival of lynx populations. As a next step, the establishment of an additional working group on connectivity is being considered. In addition, possible solutions were discussed to address the challenge that several reintroduction projects reported a need for lynx within a similar timeframe

The Linking Lynx network would like to thank all participants and organisers for a successful conference.

Project Update

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Press release from the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Saxony, Germany, 18 March 2026:

Since the start of the year, there have been increasing reports of a lynx in the region between Freiberg, Flöha and the German-Czech border in the central Ore Mountains. The animal had been captured on camera traps, among other things, and analysis of the wildlife camera photos revealed a coat pattern similar to that of the male lynx Juno, whose trail was lost about a year and a half ago in the Eibenstock forest district in the Western Ore Mountains.

Finally, a lynx track in the snow near Flaje, close to the border with Saxony, from which a urine sample was also obtained, provided certainty. Genetic analysis enabled the animal to be identified: it is unequivocally the male lynx Juno, who was released into the wild on 18 March 2024 as the first lynx under the "RELynx Saxony" project, as the Saxony State Environment Agency announced today in Dresden.

The fact that Juno has been found again after such a long time is a minor sensation for everyone involved in the project and for lynx monitoring in Saxony. The last clear evidence of Juno came in September 2024 from a camera trap in the Eibenstock forest district. Following his release, Juno had remained within a small area of the region. It is unclear what prompted the two-year-old lynx to move on. As a rule, lynxes stay where other lynxes are already present. In Juno’s case, these were the two released female lynxes, Alva and Nova, whose territories overlapped with Juno’s.

If Juno remains in the central and eastern Ore Mountains, he is unlikely to contribute to further offspring in the small core population in the western Ore Mountains during this year’s mating season from February to April. Yet diverse mating between lynx is desirable in order to pass on the genes of as many released animals as possible to the next generation and thus preserve genetic diversity within the population.

Here is a brief overview of the other released lynx in Saxony:

"Nova" migrated to Thuringia in early 2025. Camera trap images confirm that she is still in the Jena area.
"Alva" mated with ‘Chapo’ in spring 2025 and gave birth to two cubs, a male and a female. She continues to roam extensively through her territory in the Eibenstock region. She was last captured on a wildlife camera on 1 March with her two cubs, who have now grown into fine specimens. All three animals appear to be in good health.
"Chapo" is also regularly recorded roaming extensively in the Eibenstock region. The latest camera trap image dates from 9 March. Noteworthy are wildlife camera images from January showing Chapo together with Alva. This may be a sign of the mating season. Outside the mating season, lynx tend to be solitary. The female lynx take care of rearing the cubs.
"Charlie" is still wearing a GPS transmitter collar and regularly transmits data from the Czech Republic. He spends most of his time west of Sankt Joachimsthal on the Hradiště military training area.
"Freya" migrated towards Zwönitz a few weeks after her release in late summer 2025 and remained there until at least the end of December in the wooded areas east of Zwönitz. Wildlife camera footage from the hunting association confirms this.

In Saxony, a total of seven lynx have been released into the wild in the Eibenstock forest district of the Western Ore Mountains since spring 2024. One of the animals is no longer alive. The lynx ‘Anton’ was killed in a road accident just a few weeks after his release. Two further lynx are due to be released in late summer this year.

The “RELynx Saxony Project” was launched in 2022 by the Free State of Saxony. As part of this, up to 20 Carpathian lynx (Lynx lynx carpathicus) are to be released into the Ore Mountains over a period of several years. The aim is to establish a lynx population which, in conjunction with other lynx populations in Germany and Europe, will help to conserve this rare and endangered species in the long term.

The rediscovery of Juno highlights the importance of the volunteer network of lynx observers and the German-Czech exchange of information regarding the status and protection of lynx. The RELynx project team therefore also includes a Czech wildlife biologist who carries out monitoring in the neighbouring country using wildlife cameras and maintains contact with local hunters and foresters.

Project Update

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Press release from the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Saxony, Germany, 28 October 2025:

The RELynx Saxony project team could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the camera trap images: Alva, a lynx released into the wild in the Eibenstock Forest in March 2024, is roaming the forests of the Western Ore Mountains with two cubs. This confirms that lynx are breeding in Saxony again for the first time in almost 300 years, as announced today in Dresden by the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology.

This joyful event, one year after the successful establishment of the first reintroduced lynxes, is a clear sign that the animals feel at home in the Westerzgebirge mountains and that the Ore Mountains are a suitable habitat for this strictly protected species.

From the outset, Chapo, a male lynx from Nuremberg Zoo who was also released into the wild in 2024, was considered a possible father. At the end of the mating season, in early April 2025, so-called point locations transmitted by GPS collar transmitters revealed that both lynxes had spent three days together in Alva's territory. This was a very late date for a meeting, as the mating season for lynxes only lasts until April. Due to the young age of the male lynx, which was only two years old at the time of mating, it was not initially possible to assume with certainty that reproduction had been successful. Male lynxes usually reach sexual maturity at the age of three, while female lynxes reach it at the age of two.

Alva is a wildcat from the Swiss Jura. She has already raised young there. This experience will benefit the Saxon lynx offspring. This is because everything the young lynxes need to know by the age of about ten months, they learn from their mother. Male lynxes do not participate in raising the young. After just a few months, the young lynxes follow their mother to her prey and make their first attempts at hunting themselves. The offspring then leave their mother and seek their own territory. This is a challenging and dangerous time for the still inexperienced young lynxes. Only about half of the young lynxes reach their second year of life.

The RELynx Saxony project team will use wildlife cameras to monitor how the young animals develop. This requires a great deal of experience and patience. Lynxes have territories covering over a hundred square kilometres, so it can take weeks before they fall into a ‘photo trap’ again.

Background to the project:

The aim of the RELynx Saxony project is to establish a lynx population in the Ore Mountains and, as a stepping stone, to connect the existing populations in the Bavarian Forest and the Harz Mountains with the original populations in the Carpathians. This will only succeed if the reintroduced lynxes produce offspring. In this way, the population can grow and sustain itself in the long term. In addition, offspring contribute to genetic diversity – an important factor given the small number of lynxes in Germany.

On the extermination of lynxes around 300 years ago: A lynx stone in Saxon Switzerland commemorates the last documented lynx killed in Saxony. It is dated 3 April 1743.

Project Update

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Thuringia, 19 October 2025:

The images were taken on 29 July this year and have now been discovered during the evaluation of the camera data. The project team suspects that the lynx is the mother of last year's cubs. The female lynx probably migrated from northern Bavaria, where a small lynx population has developed in recent years thanks to successful population support by the Bavarian authorities.

The father of the young lynxes could be a lynx released into the wild as part of the «Lynx Thuringia» project: Viorel, a male lynx from the Romanian Carpathians, established his territory in the Sachsenbrunn area shortly after his release, as evidenced by data from his GPS collar. During the coming winter months, the project team will attempt to determine the fatherhood beyond doubt by examining genetic material from faecal samples.

Dr Markus Port, conservation biologist and lynx expert at BUND Thuringia and the University of Göttingen: «The lynx offspring in the Thuringian Forest is an important milestone in our project! By investigating paternity, we want to find out which lynxes are reproducing and thus contributing to the newly emerging lynx population. This helps us to keep an eye on the genetic diversity of the population right from the start.»

Viorel is one of six lynxes that have been released into the wild since 2024 as part of the «Lynx Thuringia» project. The project is initiated and coordinated by BUND Thuringia, which is working with WWF Germany, ThüringenForst, the Thuringian Hunting Association and other partners to support the return of lynxes to the region. The Thuringian Forest Nature Park is also involved.

Ralf Kirchner, Deputy Managing Director of the Thuringian Forest Nature Park: «As a project partner, the Thuringian Forest Nature Park supports the reintroduction of lynxes, among other things, with camera trap monitoring. We are therefore all the more delighted that a camera we maintain has now once again detected lynx offspring in the Thuringian Forest. We very much hope that the young lynxes will be followed by further offspring.»

More lynxes are to be introduced to the Thuringian Forest next year. The aim of the «Lynx Thuringia» project is to establish a stable population of lynxes in central Germany, which will serve as a link between the previously isolated populations in the Harz Mountains and the Bavarian Forest. This will strengthen the genetic diversity of the lynxes and ensure the long-term survival of the species in Germany.

Background
«Lynx Thuringia – Connecting Europe's Lynx» is a joint project of BUND, WWF, ThüringenForst, the Wildcat Village Hütscheroda, the Thuringian Hunting Association, the UNESCO Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve, the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, the Georg August University of Göttingen and the Romanian project partners ACDB and Romsilva. The project is part of the European lynx expert network Linking Lynx, which is dedicated to the conservation and networking of lynx populations in Central Europe. The aim is to establish a stable and independent lynx population in Central Europe through targeted reintroductions and the networking of existing populations. Many of the lynxes released into the Thuringian Forest originate from the conservation breeding programme of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

The project is being implemented as part of the «Promotion of Projects for the Development of Nature and Landscape» (ENL) programme and is funded by the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment.

Breeding

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Press release Nationalpark Harz, 07.10.2025:

After more than a year of planning, organising and tense waiting, it finally happened: seven-year-old lynx Rikki from Kyiv Zoo in the Ukrainian capital arrived in Germany at the end of September. She is eagerly awaited in the Harz Mountains: after a four-week quarantine at the Sachsenhagen Wildlife and Species Conservation Station near Hanover, the cat is to move into the large outdoor enclosure at the Harz National Park on the Rabenklippe, where she will produce offspring as part of a European conservation breeding programme. Her future partner, a male lynx from Switzerland, arrived in August and has now settled into his new home.

On a Friday morning, Ole Anders, lynx expert at the Harz National Park Authority, received the welcome news that Rikki the lynx had arrived safely in Sachsenhagen after a three-day journey from Kyjv via Poland to Germany. Following the long transport by the Dutch specialist company Crossborder Animal Services, she appeared to be in excellent health. ‘I am more than relieved. It was a nerve-wracking time. The biggest challenge was getting the animal to Germany. Air transport was impossible due to the war situation, and transport by land was very difficult to organise,’ he reports.

Initially, it was necessary to overcome bureaucratic hurdles in connection with the export of the protected species from Ukraine, obtain the necessary documents and deal with the organisational problems of transporting animals from the war-torn country. Then, when crossing the borders between Ukraine, Poland and Germany, which turned the lynx's journey into a thriller for those involved, especially during the final stage. Due to problems and language difficulties during customs clearance, apparently caused by insufficient paperwork for the border authorities, hours of phone calls, emails and messenger messages flew back and forth between Geert Wijnands, the head of the transport company, who was sitting in the cockpit of the transporter himself, the zoo in Kyiv, Ole Anders, the border authorities and the responsible German veterinary office until it was finally clear that Luchsin Rikki would be allowed to cross the EU border into Poland and then also the German-Polish border.

Available female lynxes are extremely rare in conservation breeding programmes

The breeding recommendation for the Ukrainian lynx had already been issued by the studbook keeper at Bern Zoo on 3 September 2024, more than a year ago – that's how long it ultimately took to prepare for the transport. All animals in this conservation breeding programme (EEP) are listed with the studbook keeper, including the Swiss male. ‘On paper, the two animals are a good genetic match,’ explains Ole Anders. The requirements: it should be a subspecies-pure breeding line with a low degree of inbreeding. However, it is anything but easy to form a breeding pair: ‘Females are extremely rare in the EEP, almost all of them are already paired up,’ says the Harz lynx expert. So it was very fortunate that a suitable female lynx was available for the Harz at all.

‘We contacted the zoo in Kyiv, and they immediately agreed to an international cooperation,’ he reports. Despite the difficult and stressful conditions caused by the war, it was important to those responsible in Ukraine to participate in the European species conservation project. As the transport date approached, time was running out and important documents were still missing, the Harz Lynx Project team received support from former MEP Viola von Cramon, who, on the sidelines of political consultations in Ukraine, asked the responsible minister directly for support for the species conservation project, thus ensuring that the crucial documents were issued at short notice.

‘It is a great honour for Harz National Park and the Harz Lynx Project to be included in the conservation breeding programme by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA),’ emphasises Anders. ‘We had the support of recognised experts. The large, natural enclosure at Rabenklippe was certainly a decisive factor in this.’ Breeding lynxes is new territory for the National Park administration, but since this year, animal keeper Paul Bridge, a proven expert, has joined the team. Bridge was previously employed at Osnabrück Zoo, where he worked with predators such as hyenas and wolverines, among others.

Lynx Rikki was born in 2018. She has not yet had any offspring. After quarantine, she will initially be housed in a small enclosure in the Harz Mountains to acclimatise, still separated from her future partner by a fence. ‘To get to know each other,’ says Ole Anders. ‘If they get along, they will be moved to a shared enclosure.’ Then it's a matter of waiting. Mating season for lynxes is in early spring.

Translocation

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Press release from Baden-Württemberg Forestry, 30 September 2025:

«The lynx is to become native to Baden-Württemberg once again. With this population support project, we are helping the animals to return permanently to their traditional habitat. Only healthy, carefully selected and prepared lynxes will be released into the wild. The release of the lynx Elisabeth is something special. Female lynxes do not migrate very far, so an influx from neighbouring countries is not to be expected. However, lynxes are an important prerequisite for establishing a native lynx population in the northern Black Forest. I am therefore particularly pleased that we are making progress with the project with the release of Elisabeth and can increase the proportion of female lynxes in Baden-Württemberg so that this fascinating species can once again permanently colonise the Black Forest,« said Peter Hauk, Minister for Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection, on the occasion of the release in the northern Black Forest.

There are currently eleven lynxes roaming the Black Forest

With Elisabeth, the number of lynxes released into the wild rises to five. Together with six other male lynxes that have migrated naturally in recent years, a total of eleven lynxes now roam the Black Forest.

Female lynx Elisabeth raises hopes for offspring

Elisabeth follows Martin, who was released into the wild in July 2025 by the team led by project manager Eva Klebelsberg from the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA) at the same location. Just two weeks later, Martin caught his first deer. ‘That was a good start for him,’ says Klebelsberg. "Offspring are crucial for supporting the population. We hope that Elisabeth will settle into her new territory just as quickly and successfully and perhaps produce offspring as early as next spring," adds the biologist. Like all five lynxes that have already been released into the wild as part of the project, Elisabeth will genetically enrich the lynx population in the Black Forest and neighbouring regions.

Elisabeth was born in Chemnitz

The female lynx Elisabeth was born in May 2024 at Chemnitz Zoo. The zoo participates in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation breeding programme for the Carpathian lynx, a rare subspecies of the Eurasian lynx. The aim is to maintain a genetically diverse population of lynx. The offspring of lynxes from zoological institutions are important for increasing the gene pool of wild populations and ensuring offspring through the release of female animals into the wild.

From the beginning of March 2025 until her release into the wild, Elisabeth lived in the new coordination enclosure at Karlsruhe Zoo, where she had minimal contact with humans and was prepared as well as possible for life in the wild.

Behaviour is closely observed before release

«Before we decide to release a lynx, we look closely at its behaviour,’ explains Eva Klebelsberg: Elisabeth showed the hoped-for pronounced shyness towards humans and dogs. She is also able to break open whole wild animals on her own. ‘Excellent conditions for her future life in the Black Forest,» says Klebelsberg happily.

Before her release, Elisabeth was once again thoroughly examined and vaccinated. The FVA experts then fitted the female lynx with a transmitter collar so that they could track exactly how Elisabeth would use her new habitat. Monitoring is therefore an important part of the project.

Local hunters also play a particularly important role in monitoring the lynxes. They are the eyes and ears of the forest and support the project with their expertise and local knowledge, for example by reporting sightings and other signs of lynxes. They also pass on their knowledge about lynxes to the local population.

Translocation

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Press release from the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Saxony, Germany, 2 September 2025:

Today, Tuesday, September 2, 2025, another lynx was released into the wild as part of the “RELynx Saxony” project in the Eibenstock/Westerzgebirge forest district. This was announced by the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture, and Geology in Dresden.

The animal is a one-year-old female lynx named Freya. She was born in the Zurich Wildlife Park in a special breeding enclosure as part of the Carpathian lynx conservation program. Freya spent the last few months in a coordination enclosure at the Hütscheroda Wildcat Village in Thuringia, where she was specifically prepared for life in the “wild.”

Freya has successfully passed the behavioral tests developed by the Linking Lynx network of experts. She shows a marked shyness towards humans and has learned to use whole wild carcasses in the enclosure. This is an important step towards her independence in the wild.

The release of another female lynx is a significant contribution to building up the still small population in the region. With the help of her collar transmitter, it will be possible to track whether Freya encounters other lynxes in the Eibenstock forest district and how she is coping in her new habitat.

Just yesterday, Charlie the lynx, who comes from Karlsruhe Zoo, was released into the wild and is now roaming the Eibenstock forest. With these two animals, the releases for 2025 are complete. Further releases of two to a maximum of three lynxes are planned for 2026.

Technical background to “RELynx Saxony”
“RELynx Saxony” is part of a Germany-wide strategy. With the releases in the Ore Mountains, the Free State of Saxony is contributing to lynxes being able to permanently repopulate their original habitats in Germany. The animals released into the wild in Saxony have a special task: they are to contribute to the networking of the still vulnerable Central European lynx population and, in the long term, ensure genetic exchange, especially between the Harz Mountains, Bavaria, and Eastern Europe. Releases of the Carpathian lynx are currently taking place in projects in Saxony, Thuringia, and Baden-Württemberg.

The RELynx project works in close cooperation with the Linking Lynx expert network. The aim of Linking Lynx is to connect populations and establish a viable lynx metapopulation stretching from the Carpathians through the German low mountain ranges to the Jura and the Western Alps. This requires cross-border cooperation, further reintroductions, and the genetic strengthening of threatened populations. The experts are jointly developing protocols and standards, including for the suitability of captive-bred lynx for release into the wild.

Translocation

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Press release from the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Saxony, Germany, 1 September 2025:

On Monday, 1 September 2025, the sixth lynx was released into the wild as part of the ‘RELynx Saxony’ project in the Eibenstock/Westerzgebirge forest district. According to the Saxony State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the lynx is a 13-month-old male named Charlie.

The transport and release went smoothly. Charlie is the first lynx to be released into the wild as part of a revised strategy for the RELynx Saxony project. Environment Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch said, "We cannot view species conservation in isolation, but must always consider it in balance with other interests in the surrounding area.

The original RELynx Saxony project was too ambitious in terms of local acceptance and finances. With the revised release strategy, we are better able to meet this requirement: we are extending the project over time, saving money and still ensuring species protection for the lynx. Pragmatic, simple and effective. That is my understanding of accepted species protection that is thought out in an integrated way."

Reintroduction strategy to be adjusted
In order to achieve a successful balance between local acceptance, the technical requirements of species conservation, the use of resources and the protection of the lynx required under EU law, new key points for the reintroduction programme have been defined. On the one hand, the project will be extended in terms of time. Instead of releasing around five animals per year until the end of 2027, only two to three lynxes will be released annually until 2030/2031. The upper limit is 20 individuals in total. This will prevent the region from being overwhelmed and, at the same time, allow the stepping stone population to grow slowly in accordance with scientific criteria. Secondly, the project will be limited to a specific region. Reintroduction will only take place in state-owned forest areas in Eibenstock and the surrounding area. Active settlement in the Eastern Ore Mountains and other regions of Saxony will no longer be pursued. The settlement of other areas will therefore be left to its natural course, will not be artificially forced and will be closely monitored at the same time.

There will also be changes in project coordination. The existing contract with the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, represented by the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, expires at the end of 2027 and will not be renewed beyond this date in order to save state funds. The same applies, for example, to regional public relations and networking measures, which will be limited to 2026. From this point onwards, it is planned to secure funding through third-party funds. The change in the reintroduction strategy will result in savings of approximately 25 per cent compared to the original project calculation. This corresponds to more than 225,000 euros.

From Karlsruhe to Eibenstock: Charlie the male lynx
The male lynx Charlie comes from the breeding programme at Karlsruhe Zoo. He was born there in July 2024 and then prepared for release into the wild in a coordination enclosure adjacent to the zoo, away from humans. Karlsruhe Zoo focuses on species conservation and contributes to rebuilding the lynx population in Germany through targeted breeding. For context: lynxes in enclosures that are intended for release into the wild are bred specifically in a cross-zoo project run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The ‘Linking Lynx’ network of experts coordinates the distribution of lynxes in enclosures to the various release projects, taking into account suitability, gender and genetics.

Behavioural tests showed that the male lynx meets the requirements for life in the wild: he is shy, avoids humans and does not react to dogs. Charlie also passed all health checks and contributes valuable genes to the lynx population currently being established. In the extensive forests of the Western Ore Mountains, the male lynx is to join the still small population of two resident lynxes, Alva and Chapo, in the Eibenstock forest district. Charlie wears a collar transmitter to monitor his activities. The coming months will show how Charlie explores his new habitat and whether he settles down.

Technical background to ‘RElynx Saxony’
‘RELynx Saxony’ is part of a Germany-wide strategy. With the reintroduction of lynx into the Ore Mountains, the Free State of Saxony is helping to ensure that lynx can permanently repopulate their original habitats in Germany. The animals released in Saxony have a special task: they are to contribute to the networking of the still vulnerable Central European lynx population and, in the long term, ensure genetic exchange, especially between the Harz Mountains, Bavaria and Eastern Europe. Releases of Carpathian lynxes are currently taking place in projects in Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg.

Translocation

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Announcement from Luchs Thüringen, 29 August 2025:

Carlo comes from Karlsruhe Zoo, where he grew up in a large, natural enclosure without direct contact with humans. After arriving in Thuringia, he initially spent some time in the reintroduction enclosure to get used to his new surroundings. As of today, he is roaming freely through the Thuringian Forest and has joined the group of lynxes that have already been released into the wild: Frieda, Viorel, Vreni, Kilian and Ionel.

Carlo will be monitored for a year with the aid of a GPS transmitter, which will provide insights into his use of space and behaviour. The collar will then fall off automatically. Only reliable data can be used to assess how successful the project is and whether a stable lynx population can be established in the Thuringian Forest in the long term. In addition, camera traps regularly provide insights into the animals' lives: For example, the lynx Frieda was recently captured on camera near Ruppberg. Data from Ionel, Kilian and Viorel also confirms that they have settled in well to their new environment.

Together with Carlo, the young lynx ‘Baron’ was also released into the wild. He had been spotted in the Bockstadt area in June and appeared emaciated. In consultation with the relevant authorities and local hunters, the ‘Luchs Thüringen’ project team decided to capture him and take him into care. Thanks to the dedicated care of the Worbis Bear Park, ‘Baron’ recovered quickly: the one-year-old male now weighs 14 kilograms and is fit for the wild again.

The coming weeks and months will show whether he will be able to find his way back into the wild. As a project team, we are glad that we were able to give him a new chance. It is now entirely up to him to seize it.

Translocation

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Press release from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs, and Consumer Protection, July 25, 2025:

"For centuries, the lynx was native to our forests until it was driven out. Today, the lynx is highly endangered in Central Europe. The population support project in Baden-Württemberg is helping to enable the animals to return permanently to their traditional habitat. The release of healthy, carefully selected and prepared lynxes is essential for this. Martin the lynx can help this fascinating species to repopulate the Black Forest permanently, as it once did. I am delighted that we have been able to release another lynx into the wild today, taking the ‘Lynx Baden-Württemberg’ project one step further," said Peter Hauk, Minister of Food, Rural Affairs, and Consumer Protection, on Friday (July 25) at the release in the northern Black Forest.

Lynx Martin raises hopes for offspring
At the end of 2024, the project team led by Eva Klebelsberg from the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA) released Verena the lynx and Reinhold the lynx into the northern Black Forest. “Both animals have settled very well in the area,” says the biologist. “Martin is a lynx that is genetically well suited to enriching the lynx population in the Black Forest and neighboring areas.”

Dr. Micha Herdtfelder, head of the lynx and wolf department at the FVA, adds: "We very much hope that Martin will also settle in well. Together with five other lynxes that have migrated naturally in recent years, the number of lynxes in the Black Forest now rises to a total of eight animals."

Zoos play an important role in species conservation
Martin was born in June 2024 at Nuremberg Zoo. Since the beginning of March 2025, he has been living in the newly built coordination enclosure in the Oberwald animal park at Karlsruhe Zoo, where he has had minimal contact with humans and has been prepared as well as possible for life in the wild. Financial support from the WWF and the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation made it possible to build the enclosure, which is unique in Baden-Württemberg. “It's a particularly emotional moment for me,” explains Prof. Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt, Director of Karlsruhe Zoo. “The animal has lived with us in the coordination enclosure for several months and has been prepared for release into the wild. Now he is in the Black Forest and will help ensure that the lynx has a future in nature here. It's very moving.”

The two zoos mentioned above participate in the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) – also known as the European Conservation Breeding Program – of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) for the Carpathian lynx. The program aims to maintain a genetically diverse population of lynx. In addition, the two zoos meet further requirements to be able to make lynxes from this program available for release into the wild. “Lynx offspring from zoological institutions are important for increasing the gene pool of populations in the wild and ensuring offspring through the release of female animals,” emphasizes Eva Klebelsberg.

Scientific support is key
In various tests prior to release, Martin demonstrated the required pronounced avoidance behavior toward humans and dogs.

The animal is also already able to consume whole carcasses. The veterinarians at Karlsruhe Zoo thoroughly examined and vaccinated Martin once again before his release into the wild. He was then fitted with a transmitter by the FVA. This transmitter will enable valuable information to be gathered about how the lynxes use their habitat. Monitoring is therefore an important part of the project.

Hunters provide active support
Local hunters play a particularly important role in monitoring the lynxes. They are the eyes and ears in the forest and support the project with their expertise and local knowledge, for example by reporting sightings and other signs of lynxes. They also pass on their knowledge about lynxes to the local population.

Cooperation between hunters and the project has been excellent so far. “Hunters are also committed to protecting species under the Hunting and Wildlife Management Act,” said State Hunting Master Dr. Jörg Friedmann, adding: “In addition to supporting the population, improving and expanding migration corridors, for example by creating more green bridges in the state, is essential for the lynx.”

Further comments on the reintroduction
Dr. Sybille Klenzendorf, WWF Germany: "The last lynx was exterminated in Baden-Württemberg over 180 years ago. Now we can finally celebrate its return. So far, there are only three permanent lynx populations in Germany: in the Palatinate Forest, the Harz Mountains, and the Bavarian Forest. The WWF supports reintroduction projects to promote the interconnection of populations. Our goal is to connect the individual populations throughout Europe.“

Verena Schiltenwolf, Luchs-Initiative Baden-Württemberg e.V.: ”Lynx population support in Baden-Württemberg is well underway, and it is very important to reintroduce more animals quickly. We therefore very much welcome the fact that another animal is now able to reclaim its natural habitat in the Black Forest.“

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schraml, Forest Research Institute (FVA): ”How wonderful that the years of preparation by the FVA team are bearing fruit with another successful release into the wild! Research, monitoring, and knowledge transfer are key components for the conflict-free return of large predators to Baden-Württemberg. The constructive cooperation of all stakeholders in the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Working Group is making a significant contribution to promoting acceptance of the animals among the various interest groups. A complete success!"

Dr. Kristina Vogt, coordinator of the Linking Lynx expert network: "The selection and preparation of the lynx was carried out according to strict criteria developed by the Linking Lynx expert network. We are delighted that the lynx has now been released into the wild. Supporting the lynx population in the Black Forest is very important for better connectivity between lynx populations in Western and Central Europe.“

Dr. Jörg Beckmann, Deputy Director of Nuremberg Zoo: ”We are delighted to be able to support our neighbors in Baden-Württemberg with a Nuremberg lynx in the reintroduction of Europe's largest cat species."

Background information:
The lynx is highly endangered in Central Europe. For this reason, the project “Lynx Baden-Württemberg – Supporting the lynx population in Baden-Württemberg and neighboring regions” was launched in 2023. The four-year project aims to lay the foundation for a healthy, stable lynx population in the Black Forest that is capable of surviving independently and connecting with neighboring populations in the Swiss Jura, the Vosges, and the Palatinate Forest to form a meta-population.

By the end of 2027, around ten animals, mainly females, are to be released into the wild as part of the project. The state government is working closely with the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA), Karlsruhe Zoo, WWF Germany, the Baden-Württemberg State Hunting Association, and the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Initiative as a consortium on this project. The project is also funded by the alosa Foundation and supported by the “Lynx and Wolf Baden-Württemberg” working group. The common goal is to support the lynx population in the state and promote the necessary acceptance of lynx in Baden-Württemberg.

Project Update

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Baden-Württemberg, Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection, 4 July 2025:

«Only healthy and vigorous animals are selected for the establishment and development of a stable lynx population in Baden-Württemberg. The lynxes born at Karlsruhe Zoo in early May 2025, which are eligible for the state's population support project, were examined for the first time today. In addition to a health check and vaccination, the sex of the animals, a female lynx and a male lynx, was determined. If both animals continue to develop so well, they could be selected next year to support the lynx population in Baden-Württemberg and make an important contribution to the preservation and enrichment of European biodiversity. Karlsruhe Zoo has once again proven that it plays a key role in preparing for the release of more lynxes and is therefore an important partner for the entire project, for which I would like to express my sincere thanks for its competent support,» said Peter Hauk MdL, Minister of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection, on Friday (4 July) during the initial examination of the juveniles at Karlsruhe Zoo.

Zoo Director Prof. Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt added: «It would be fantastic for us as a zoo if these two juveniles could be released into the wild next year.»

Karlsruhe Zoo participates in the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) – better known as the European Conservation Breeding Programme – for the Carpathian lynx. This is the lynx subspecies that is currently being reintroduced in Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia and Saxony. As the species is highly endangered in Central Europe, the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Project was launched in 2023. By the end of 2027, up to ten lynxes, especially females, are to be released into the Black Forest.

Due to the natural immigration of fewer exclusively male lynxes from Switzerland, this is referred to as population support in Baden-Württemberg. «The lynx offspring from zoological institutions are important for genetically enriching the population in the wild and, through the release of female animals, for ensuring offspring,» said Eva Klebelsberg, head of the state project at the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA). The state government, scientific institutions such as the FVA, Karlsruhe Zoo, WWF Germany, the State Hunting Association and the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Initiative are working closely together to support the lynx population and ensure the necessary acceptance in Baden-Württemberg.

Just last March, the new coordination enclosure for lynxes was opened at the Oberwald Animal Park, a branch of the Karlsruhe Zoo. Here, lynxes are prepared for possible release into the wild. In a few months, the latest offspring will also be introduced to life in the wild in this new enclosure. Their behaviour will be observed. «Only lynxes that show fear of humans and dogs are suitable for release into the wild. Lynxes do not need to learn how to hunt and can rely on their innate instincts in the wild,» said Eva Klebelsberg. So far, three lynxes have been released into the Black Forest as part of the state project. More animals are to follow this year if possible.

Background

«Lynx Baden-Württemberg – Supporting the lynx population in Baden-Württemberg and neighbouring regions» is a project run by the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA) in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg State Hunting Association, WWF Germany and Karlsruhe Zoo.

The project is also supported by the HIT Environmental and Nature Conservation Foundation and the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Initiative. It is commissioned by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection (MLR). The European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for Carpathian lynx is coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).

The project is supported by the Linking Lynx network, which is dedicated to the conservation, monitoring and management of the Carpathian lynx. The long-term goal is to create a viable metapopulation in Europe, stretching from the Carpathians to the Jura, the Western Alps and the Dinaric Mountains.

More information about lynxes and the project can be found on the Baden-Württemberg wildlife portal (in German).

Translocation

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0200

BUND Thuringia, Germany, 11 April 2025:

On Thursday, 10 April, the project team of "Lynx Thuringia – Connecting Europe's Lynx" successfully released another lynx into the wild in the Thuringian Forest. The male lynx, named Ionel, will strengthen the small but steadily growing population of lynx in Thuringia and thus make an important contribution to the conservation of this fascinating wild animal species in Germany. Since the project began in January 2024, four lynx have already been released into the wild by Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and its project partners in the Thuringian Forest. More animals are to follow by 2027 – with the aim of establishing a permanent population. In the long term, the existing populations in the Bavarian Forest and the Harz Mountains are to be connected. According to the Red List of Threatened Species, lynx in Germany are classified as ‘critically endangered’. The few existing populations are highly isolated from each other. Reintroduction projects are intended to help reintroduce the rare cats.

On 3 April, Ionel arrived in the Thuringian Forest and moved into the local reintroduction enclosure. Here he had time to get used to his new surroundings. "Ionel is a young, healthy male lynx – about three to four years old, and weighing around 22 kilograms. He survived the transport well and showed a healthy appetite from the start – a clear sign that he has settled in quickly," explains Ronny Eckhardt, ThüringenForst.

The lynx is not alone in the Thuringian Forest
Ionel may soon meet some of his own kind in the Thuringian Forest. Frieda and Viorel were released in May 2024, followed by Vreni and Kilian in August 2024. The data from their collar transmitters regularly show the project team where the animals are. "Lynx are actually solitary animals," explains Markus Port, lynx coordinator at BUND Thuringia and at the University of Göttingen, "but during the mating season in March, Frieda and Kilian became closer and roamed the forest together for a while. This raises hopes for offspring!"

The lynx that has now been released into the wild, Ionel, comes from Romania, where project partners in the Suceava region carefully captured him in a live trap. The lynx was examined by a veterinarian on the spot and then transferred to a quarantine enclosure. Max Boxleitner, lynx expert at WWF: "Our Romanian partners have a tradition of naming a lynx after the gamekeeper in whose territory it was caught – that's how Ionel got his name. It's a sign of appreciation that we were happy to take up. We are pleased that the reintroduction has once again been a success thanks to close cooperation with our Romanian partners. This shows that species protection knows no borders."

Ionel's movements through the Thuringian Forest are now being tracked using the GPS data from his collar transmitter. "We are very excited to see how Ionel settles into his new home," Markus Port concludes.

Background:
The "Lynx Thuringia – Connecting Europe's Lynx" project will run until the end of August 2027 and is being implemented as part of the "Funding of Nature and Landscape Development Projects" (ENL) programme of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Nature Conservation and Forestry (TMUENF) – and jointly by BUND Thuringia, the BUND Federal Association, WWF Germany, the Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda, ThüringenForst, the Thuringian Hunting Association, the UNESCO-Biosphere Reserve Thuringian Forest, the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, the Georg-August-University of Göttingen and the Romanian project partners ACDB and Romsilva. The project is part of the European lynx expert network Linking Lynx, which is dedicated to the conservation and networking of lynx populations in Central Europe. The Ministry of the Environment is supporting the project with around 2.9 million euros until 2027, a fifth of which comes from the Thuringian state budget and the remaining 80 percent of which is co-financed by ENL funds from the EU.

Translocation Update

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Communication Lynx Thuringia, 07.03.2025:

The female lynx Nova is one of five lynx that have been released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge as part of the ReLynx Saxony project. Nova is a lynx from the Swiss Jura Mpuntains and is estimated to be between 4 and 7 years old. Since her release in March 2024, she had established a territory in the Eibenstock Forest in Saxony. But then, surprisingly, she covered a distance of over 150 km and migrated to Thuringia at the end of December 2024. The lynx's migration and whereabouts can be easily tracked using the data from her transmitter collar. She is now in the Jena area.

Usually female lynx in particular have a rather conservative dispersal behavior and find it difficult to cross habitat barriers. The dangers on such dispersals are great and many lynx die during migration. However, Nova shows that even females are able to make such long dispersals and cross several highways. From the point of view of genetic diversity, such dispersals are important.

Whether Nova will settle in the Jena area in the long term or whether this is only a temporary territory (a stopover) remains to be seen. The ReLynx Saxony and Lynx Thuringia projects operate at the level of the respective federal states, but they have the common goal of a cross-border, networked lynx population. Nova is already showing that such a network is possible at an early stage of the two projects.

Translocation

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Kalkalpen National Park, Austria, 31 January 2025:

For several years, the lynx population support project in the Kalkalpen National Park has been hanging by a thread. The low genetic diversity of the current small lynx population is already leaving its mark. The closely related lynxes are not producing offspring.

For this reason, the young lynx male Janus was released into the wild in the Kalkalpen National Park in the early hours of this morning. He is a lynx with Carpathian DNA and is expected to produce offspring in the coming years.

Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler: «Lynx Janus is setting out on his journey to freedom – a young lynx from the Carpathian region that will contribute to the much-needed genetic diversity in the Kalkalpen National Park. In a sensitive ecosystem where every species plays an important role, he will help to maintain the natural balance.»

Janus the lynx is a purebred Carpathian lynx, was born on 22 May 2023 and grew up in a natural enclosure in the Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda in the municipality of Hörselberg-Hainich in Thuringia. He spent the last few months in a protected reintroduction enclosure. There he was prepared for a life in the wild without human contact. After passing the last behavioural tests with flying colours, Janus was placed in the Kalkalpen National Park by the international Linking Lynx Sourcing Working Group. Linking Lynx is a network of experts dedicated to the conservation, monitoring and management of the Carpathian lynx. The European breeding programme for the lynx is managed by the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria).

After extensive testing and a clean bill of health, Janus the lynx cub was brought to Austria in a night trip. He was accompanied by Dr Katrin Vogel from the Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda, veterinarian Dr Szilvia Kalogeropoulu from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, as well as DI Christian Fuxjäger and Josef Schürhagel from the Kalkalpen National Park.

Deputy Governor Dr Manfred Haimbuchner: «With the replacement of Norik, a further step has been taken in the three-stage plan to ensure a sustainable population of lynx in southern Upper Austria.»

Dr Katrin Vogel (managing director of the BUND Wildcat Village in Hütscheroda): «I am very pleased that Janus is now strengthening the lynx population in the Limestone Alps and hopefully helping to further connect Europe's lynx population. He is now the seventh animal to be released into the wild from our breeding programme in Germany, Austria and Italy».

National Park Director Forstinger extends special thanks to the LUKA working group, which has been meeting since 2008 and brings together all interested parties around one table. Its work has been an important contribution to making this population support possible.

Translocation Update

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Press release, Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie, Saxony, 22.01.2025:

The lynx's movements can be tracked quite well using the data from her transmitter collar. According to this, she began her migration on 27 December 2024 and has since covered almost 150 kilometres. This long migration so shortly before the beginning of the lynx mating season has surprised the experts of the Saxon reintroduction project «RELynx Saxony». Females are usually more territorial than their male counterparts. Nova is proving that female lynx can also embark on long migrations and that this may be a way to connect the stepping stone populations in Saxony, Thuringia and the Bavarian Fichtelgebirge. This is to prevent genetic impoverishment. In addition, Nova had managed to cross a fairly dense transport network without coming to any harm. Among other things, she crossed the A72, A9 and A4 motorways northwards towards Jena.
Nova, a female lynx from the Swiss Jura Mountains, had quickly found a new home in the Westerzgebirge region after being released into the wild and established her territory between Eibenstock, Schneeberg and Bockau. The Saxon reintroduction project regrets that she has left. Now the hope remains that she will meet a sexually mature male lynx in Thuringia and give birth in spring. This would be a gain for the lynx population in Central Germany, according to the project team.
After the death of lynx Anton, who was killed in a traffic accident, and the migration of Nova, only three of the five released lynx are now roaming the Westerzgebirge on silent paws. According to the tracking data, the female lynx Alva, also a wild catch from the Swiss Jura mountains, stayed in the area around Eibenstock and in the neighbourhood of Nova throughout December. During this period, Nova shifted her main area of activity from the Eibenstock region about ten kilometres eastwards to the vicinity of Breitenbrunn. The male lynx Chapo stays to the southeast of it on the slopes of the Keilberg on the Bohemian side. There are no tracking data for the lynx Juno, who lost his transmitter collar in August. Since he has been moving around widely in the wild area and has staked out his territory, the experts assume that he is still there.

Translocation Update

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Press release, Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie, Saxony, 08.01.2025

On 28 March 2024, Alva was released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge - the second wild catch from the Swiss Jura. It was later discovered that the female lynx was infected with the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Like all animals from the RELynx project, Alva is continuously monitored using various methods: By GPS tracking, via photo traps, with crack searches. The data shows: Alva currently appears to be in good health. For this reason, the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture (SMEKUL) has decided not to initiate any further measures for the time being after objectively and legally weighing up all options for action as well as the risks to the lynx population currently being established and the project objectives. The initial plan was to capture the cat and determine its exact infection status.

FeLV is a viral infection that is only infectious to feline species. The virus can only be transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal, for example through bites, mutual grooming or during mating. The infection can take a different course: There are abortive, regressive and progressive forms. In an abortive course, the virus has been successfully combated by the immune system. In the case of a regressive course, the lynx is infected for life, but does not excrete the virus and is not infectious to other felines. In a progressive course, the virus actively multiplies in the blood and is continuously excreted. Other cats can become infected through direct contact. This is known as permanent viraemia, which weakens the immune system. In this form of the disease, cats develop a variety of symptoms such as tumours and secondary infections, from which they usually die within a few months to years.

After being caught in Switzerland, Alva successfully passed all the necessary health tests, including three tests for FeLV. One month after the release, our project team received news from the Swiss Fish and Wildlife Institute (FIWI) that a blood test carried out retrospectively for scientific purposes had found Alva to be infected with FeLV. The infection probably occurred shortly before the catch. Based on the data currently available from telemetry, photo traps and crack searches, a contagious (progressive) infection status is currently considered rather unlikely.
The «RELynx Saxony» project is an important species conservation project of the Free State of Saxony and is part of the nationwide strategy to stabilise the German lynx population. Alva is a sexually mature, experienced mother who can make a decisive contribution to reproduction and thus the establishment of a stepping stone population in Saxony. Offspring are particularly important in the initial phase of a reintroduction project - on the one hand to stabilise the population and on the other to increase genetic diversity.

Translocations

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The Linking Lynx network aims to strengthen the lynx population in Central and Western Europe. Various translocation projects currently underway in Germany and Italy are making an important contribution to this – for example in Thuringia, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Tarvisio. A large proportion of the lynx released into the wild come from the EAZA conservation breeding programme (EEP) and the «Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda». Over the past 12 months, a total of 10 lynx from the EEP have been released into the wild! Wild lynx from Romania and Switzerland are also being translocated to Thuringia and Saxony in order to further increase the genetic diversity and stability of the populations.

To the portraits of the the sourced lynx

Translocation

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Press release from the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg, 19 December 2024:

‘With the release of the lynx named ‘Reinhold’ into the wild, we are continuing the lynx population support programme in Baden-Württemberg. I am very pleased that we have finally managed to release another animal into the wild this year. ‘Reinhold’ follows the one-and-a-half-year-old female lynx named ‘Verena’, who was released from the transport box in the northern Black Forest almost a month ago and has been discovering her new habitat ever since. She has already successfully hunted and killed deer. Originally, both animals were to be released at the same time, but this failed because the male lynx could only be captured in the coordination enclosure in Thuringia. However, with the mating season for lynx, which takes place between February and April, in mind, we are still on time. The fact that the animals are roaming around in the area also increases the chances of the first lynx offspring in the wild, which makes me very happy,’ said Peter Hauk, the Minister for Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, on 19 December 2024 at the release in the northern Black Forest.

The lynx male Reinhold, who was born in May 2023 at the Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda in Thuringia, is a brother of the lynx cat Finja. The population support project started with her in December 2023. Unfortunately, she died of the viral disease distemper in July of this year. Since Finja is no longer alive, the release of the brother does not pose a risk of inbreeding.

‘The four-year project ‘Luchs Baden-Württemberg’ aims to enable the recolonisation of Baden-Württemberg by lynx through population support, thus enabling genetic exchange with neighbouring lynx populations in the Swiss Jura, the Vosges or the Palatinate Forest,’ emphasised Minister Hauk. The project also contributes to the international preservation of biodiversity and the biodiversity goals of the German federal government and the European Union (EU).

Male lynx on the move

So far, no females have migrated to the northern Black Forest from Switzerland, and male lynx have only rarely done so. The lynx male ‘Toni’, who migrated from the Swiss Jura in 2019, is currently still living there. Another territorial lynx, ‘Wilhelm’, lives in the southern Black Forest.

Black Forest as a suitable lynx habitat

The large contiguous forest areas in the Black Forest and the abundance of game offer the lynx ideal living conditions. In her new home, the young lynx female ‘Verena’ is to form a foundation for a healthy population of lynx in Baden-Württemberg together with the resident lynx male Toni and other animals that follow, such as Reinhold.

Preparation in natural game reserves

Since September, Reinhold has been living in an enclosure specially built for the reintroduction of lynx in Thuringia. Here he was prepared for a life in nature and his behaviour was observed. Only lynx that show fear of humans and dogs are suitable for reintroduction. Lynx do not have to learn to hunt and can rely on their innate instincts in nature.

With the support of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation and the state, the Karlsruhe Zoo is currently building its own release enclosure outside the zoo grounds, which is intended to support future release projects in Baden-Württemberg and throughout Europe.

Reintroducing lynx makes sense

Since 2004, a total of 18 male lynx, mainly from Switzerland, have migrated to Baden-Württemberg. Only one female was a guest in the country for a very short time. However, many lynx only visited Baden-Württemberg temporarily because there were no mates. Lynx are solitary animals and occupy very large territories (territories). Female animals are much more reluctant to search for a new habitat, which is why the nearby lynx population in the Swiss Jura has not managed to cross over into the Black Forest, which would actually be a very suitable habitat for them. At the moment, with the exception of ‘Verena’, there are two proven territorial males living in Baden-Württemberg. It is extremely unlikely that a human will encounter a lynx in the Black Forest. The animals live secretly. They are active at night and at dusk. Their main prey is deer. The development of the future lynx population will therefore largely go unnoticed by the public.

The state government, scientific institutions such as the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg (FVA), WWF Germany, Karlsruhe Zoo, the State Hunting Association and the Lynx Initiative Baden-Württemberg, among others, are working closely together to support the lynx population and achieve the necessary acceptance in Baden-Württemberg. The project is supported by the Working Group (AG) Lynx and Wolf Baden-Württemberg.

Translocation Update

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Press release, Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie, Saxony, 28.11.2024:

The female lynx Alva, which was released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge region of Saxony in spring 2024, is to be captured and undergo a health check before the 2025 mating season. She is infected with the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). As the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) announced today in Dresden, the health check is intended to clarify Alva's infection status. Two different test methods are used for this purpose. Firstly, blood samples are taken for a rapid test for FeLV, and then blood samples are sent to the laboratory for an express analysis.

Alva, a female lynx from the Swiss Jura population, had successfully passed all the prescribed health tests, including three tests for FeLV, before being released into the wild in Saxony on 28 March 2024. One month later, the RELynx Saxony project team received news from the Swiss Institute for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI) that Alva had been found to be infected with FeLV in a blood test carried out retrospectively in the laboratory for scientific purposes. The infection probably occurred shortly before the capture.

Context: FeLV is a viral infection that is only infectious to felines. The virus can only be transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal, for example through bites, mutual grooming or during mating. The infection can also take a variety of different courses. There are abortive, regressive and progressive forms. In an abortive course, the virus has been successfully combated by the immune system. In the case of a regressive course, the lynx is infected for life, but does not excrete the virus and is not infectious to other felines. In a progressive course, the virus actively multiplies in the blood and is continuously excreted. Other cats can become infected through direct contact. This is known as permanent viraemia, which weakens the immune system. In this form of progression, cats develop a variety of symptoms such as tumours and secondary infections, from which they usually die within a few months to years.

If the test results show that Alva is not contagious, the animal could be released again, as currently requested. She is a sexually mature, experienced mother who can make a decisive contribution to reproduction and thus to the establishment of a stepping stone population in Saxony. Offspring are particularly important in the initial phase of a reintroduction project: on the one hand to stabilise the population and on the other to increase genetic diversity. If the disease is progressive, Alva is contagious for the other lynxes and would have to be euthanised on site by a veterinarian. The majority of lynx experts in Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland share the view that Alva should be removed from the population if the infection is progressive.

The LfULG has applied to the relevant authorities in Saxony for the necessary exemptions under hunting law and nature conservation law. Whether the authorisations will be granted is currently still open.

Background:

The ‘RELynx Saxony’ project is an important species conservation project of the Free State of Saxony and is part of the nationwide strategy to stabilise the German lynx population. The aim is to reintroduce up to 20 Carpathian lynxes (Lynx lynx carpathicus) to the ore and Elbe Sandstone Mountains by the end of 2027. The reintroduction in Saxony will establish a new stepping stone. A network of several neighbouring lynx subpopulations is to be established. In the medium term, the Saxon population will act as a link between the natural populations in the Carpathians and the previously isolated populations in the Bohemian Forest, north-east Bavaria and the Harz Mountains.

As a reintroduction project, the ‘RELynx Saxony’ project is part of the international Linking Lynx Expert Network. This deals with the conservation, monitoring and management of the Carpathian lynx. Linking Lynx develops protocols and guidelines for the use of animals reared in enclosures for reintroduction and population support projects.

The ‘RELynx Saxony’ project is being led by the State Environmental Agency of Saxony (LfULG) on behalf of the Saxon Ministry of the Environment. The LfULG awarded the project coordination to the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung following a public tender. The associated Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz has a long tradition of mammal research, and the scientists can draw on specialised knowledge in the study of large carnivores and their prey. The LfULG is supported by the Chair of Forest Zoology at Dresden University of Technology for monitoring purposes. On behalf of the Free State of Saxony, it has been carrying out coordinated monitoring of the largest cat in Central Europe since 2008 in order to obtain precise information on the occurrence, distribution and range utilisation of the Saxon lynx.

Since the beginning of November, the ‘Oberes Vogtland’ landscape conservation association has been supporting the ‘RELynx Saxony’ project. The Riedelhof Eubabrunn nature conservation station, which belongs to the association, is now also a ‘Regional Lynx Information Centre’. The Riedelhof is a central contact point for nature and species conservation in the Vogtland region. An employee has been hired for regional public relations work for the Saxon species conservation project from project funds for ‘RELynx Saxony’.

Although attacks on livestock are rare, lynx can kill sheep, goats and game kept in enclosures. The LfULG's Specialist Wolf Unit is responsible for assessing the damage and thus provides the basis for possible compensation from the Saxony State Directorate. In addition, livestock farmers are supported in prevention.

The ‘RELynx Saxony’ project is financed by budget funds from the Free State of Saxony.

Translocation

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Press release from the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg, 27 November 2024:

‘The establishment and development of a lynx population for Baden-Württemberg is entering the next round. With the release of another animal into the wild, we are continuing the population support project. The lynx female, named ‘Verena’, who is about one and a half years old, follows ‘Finja’, who was released into the wild in December 2023 but unfortunately died of a viral disease in July of this year. The lynx is an important part of European biodiversity. With this population support, the state is making an important contribution to maintaining biodiversity and, in particular, this fascinating and ecologically important species. This is a matter close to my heart. I am therefore all the more pleased that the next release went off without a hitch today,’ said the Minister of Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, Peter Hauk MdL, on Wednesday (27 November), on the occasion of the release in the northern Black Forest.

The Black Forest as a suitable habitat

The Black Forest, with its abundance of game and large contiguous forest areas, offers very good conditions for the lynx. In her new home, the young lynx female ‘Verena’, together with the resident male Toni and other animals that will follow, is to form the basis for a healthy population of lynx in Baden-Württemberg.

Unfortunately, ‘Finja’, a female lynx released into the wild last year, died unexpectedly in July as a result of the viral disease distemper.

Europe-wide networking of populations

The reintroduction of up to ten lynxes into the wild in Baden-Württemberg is planned by 2027. Female lynx ‘Verena’ was born in the Swiss animal park Langenberg in spring 2023 and prepared for reintroduction in the wildcat village of Hütscheroda. She comes from the Carpathian lynx conservation breeding programme of the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). ‘The reintroduction of lynx from the breeding programme allows us to select animals that differ significantly genetically from the populations in the surrounding regions. This helps us to avoid genetic impoverishment and, in combination with the neighbouring populations, creates a good basis for a healthy population,’ explained Minister Hauk.

Preparation in near-natural game reserves

Since September, ‘Verena’ has been living in an enclosure specially built for the reintroduction of lynx in Thuringia. ‘Here she was prepared for a life in nature and her behaviour was observed. Only lynx that show fear of humans and dogs are suitable for reintroduction. Lynx do not have to learn how to hunt and can rely on their innate instincts in nature,’ said Eva Klebelsberg, who heads the project at the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg (FVA).

With the support of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), the Karlsruhe Zoo Conservation Foundation and the state, the Karlsruhe Zoo is currently building its own reintroduction enclosure outside the zoo grounds, which is intended to support reintroduction projects in Baden-Württemberg and throughout Europe in the future.

Reintroduction of lynx makes sense

Since 2004, a total of 18 male lynxes, mainly from Switzerland, have migrated to Baden-Württemberg. Only one female was a guest in the country for a very short period. However, many lynxes only visited Baden-Württemberg temporarily because there were no mating partners available. Lynx are solitary animals and occupy very large territories (territories). Female animals are much more reluctant to search for a new habitat, which is why the nearby lynx population in the Swiss Jura has not managed to make the leap into the Black Forest, which is actually highly suitable. At the moment, with the exception of ‘Verena’, two territorial males are still known to live in Baden-Württemberg. It is extremely unlikely that humans will encounter lynx in the Black Forest. The animals live secretly. They are active at night and at dusk. Their main prey is deer. The development of the future lynx population will therefore take place largely unnoticed by the public.

Hunters support the project

‘The lynx, like the red deer and capercaillie, is a game species with scattered occurrences that require large areas and connections between populations. Such game species urgently need a new strategy to be able to conserve them through connectivity and habitat improvement,’ said Dr Jörg Friedmann, President of the State Hunting Association, adding: ’The hunting community takes responsibility for all species under the Hunting and Wild Animal Management Act in order to meet the requirement of holistic wildlife management. Hunters are the eyes and ears in the forest and support the project with their expertise and local knowledge. The collaboration between the hunting community and the project has been excellent so far.’

The state government, scientific institutions such as the FVA, WWF Germany, Karlsruhe Zoo, the State Hunting Association and the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Initiative are working closely together to support the lynx population and achieve the necessary acceptance in Baden-Württemberg. The project is supported by the Working Group on Lynx and Wolf Baden-Württemberg.

Further statements on the reintroduction

Peter Hauk MdL, Minister for Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection: ‘My sincere thanks go to the HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung, which financed the keeping of the lynx in the reintroduction enclosure and its transport to the Northern Black Forest, and to the WWF, which provided significant support for the educational work in the project and the construction of the new enclosure in Karlsruhe.’

Prof. Dr Matthias Reinschmidt, Director of Karlsruhe Zoo: ‘As a zoo, we not only want to enable encounters with endangered species, but also support their conservation in their original habitat. In the future, the lynxes will live in our new enclosure almost without contact with humans in a huge, natural area outside the zoo that is not visible from the outside world, before being released into the wild.’

Prof. Dr Ulrich Schraml, Forest Research Institute (FVA): ‘The reintroduction is the result of years of preparation. The FVA is supporting the return of large predators in Baden-Württemberg through research, monitoring and knowledge transfer. The long-standing constructive cooperation of all relevant stakeholders in the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Working Group has prepared the ground for today's calm discussion about the return of the lynx to the Black Forest.’

Christoph Heider, HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung: ‘As a foundation of a family of entrepreneurs, it is a great pleasure for us to support the lynx project in the Black Forest.’

Dr Sybille Klenzendorf, WWF Germany: ‘More than 180 years ago, the last lynx in Baden-Württemberg was wiped out. Now we can finally celebrate its return. So far, there are only three permanent lynx populations in Germany: in the Palatinate Forest, in the Harz Mountains and in the Bavarian Forest. WWF supports reintroduction projects to promote the networking of populations. Our goal is to connect the individual populations across Europe.’

Verena Schiltenwolf, Luchs-Initiative BW e.V.: ‘The lynx is welcomed in the Black Forest. This is thanks to the well-moderated dialogue between hunters, forest owners, animal owners, and conservationists, but also to the high level of sympathy among the general public. The Lynx Working Group, founded in 2004, has made an important contribution here and has dedicated itself to the topic of large carnivores in Baden-Württemberg for many years and with great persistence.’

Kristina Vogt, Linking Lynx: ‘The selection and preparation of the lynxes was carried out according to strict criteria developed by the Linking Lynx expert network. We are pleased that the two animals have now been released into the wild. Supporting the lynx population in the Black Forest is of great importance for improving the connectivity of lynx populations in Western and Central Europe.’

Background information:

The ‘Lynx Baden-Württemberg – Population Support for Lynx Occurrence in Baden-Württemberg and Neighbouring Regions’ project is a project of the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg (FVA) in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Hunting Association, WWF Germany and the Karlsruhe Zoo.

The project is also supported by the HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung and the Luchsinitiative Baden-Württemberg e.V. The client is the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg (MLR).

The European Endangered Species Programme for Carpathian lynx is coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).

The project is supported by the Linking Lynx network, which is dedicated to the conservation, monitoring and management of the Carpathian lynx. The long-term goal is to create a viable metapopulation of the Carpathian lynx in Europe, stretching from the Carpathians to the Jura, the Western Alps and the Dinaric Alps.

You can find more information about the lynx and the project on the Baden-Württemberg wildlife portal at: www.wildtierportal-bw.de

Translocation Update

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Press release, State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, 08/11/2024:

Anton, a lynx male who was about a year and a half old, was found dead this morning (8 November 2020) near Schöneck in the Vogtland region. He was found in a field adjacent to the district road between Arnoldsgrün and Schilbach, about 20 metres from the road. According to the data and evidence, he collided with a truck during the night or in the morning and later succumbed to his injuries. The animal will be examined pathologically at the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin.

Anton was released back into the wild in the Eibenstock forest district in the Westerzgebirge on 26 August. Until his transmission data went silent forever, he mainly stayed in the forests between Eibenstock and Schöneck. He was in the process of staking out his own territory, gaining increasing hunting experience and capturing his first deer at the end of October.

Lynx have very large home ranges and inevitably have to cross roads again and again. The dangers associated with this are difficult for wild animals to assess. That is why road accidents are one of the most common causes of death for lynx.

Workshop

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

On 6 October 2024, members of the Linking Lynx Monitoring, Sourcing and a part of the Health Working Group met for a joint workshop in Neuwiller-Lès-Saverne, France. The meeting was held in advance of the EUROLYNX meeting. The working groups discussed, among other things, recommendations for post-release monitoring, sourcing of lynx orphans and practically relevant research questions. After the workshop, a presentation was given by the French colleagues from the DREAL Grand Est and the Regional Natural Park of the Northern Vosges about the ‘Plan Régional d'Actions dans le Massif des Vosges’, which was also attended by participants of the EUROLYNX conference.

Translocation Update

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Press release, «Wildnispark Zürich», 02.10.2024:

About a month ago, Vreni, a female lynx born in the Langenberg animal park, was released into the wild in Germany. Now there is good news: «She is doing very well, our young Swiss lynx!», reports Markus Port, project coordinator of «Lynx Thuringia». At the beginning, she killed small prey animals, but now she has also been able to catch several deer «Although Vreni has never been able to hunt a deer as an enclosure animal before, she is already doing so very successfully and, so far, her hunting behaviour hardly differs from that of a lynx born in the wild», explains Markus Port.

Karin Hindenlang Clerc, managing director of the «Wildnispark Zürich», is delighted: «According to the statistics, deer are the main prey of wild lynx. We have prepared Vreni for this at the Langenberg animal park.» Lynx that are to be released back into the wild are only fed animals that correspond to those in the wild at the «Wildnispark Zürich» – for example deer and stags, with skin and hair. The lynx enclosure at Langenberg Zoo is one of the few places in Europe where young lynx can be prepared for an independent life in the wild. They are raised here with as little human contact as possible.

Positive influence on forest ecosystems

Karin Hindenlang Clerc: «Lynx play an important role in biodiversity. Their presence has a positive effect on the ecosystem, particularly in the forest, where they help to regulate wild ungulates such as deer.» This has a positive influence on the browsing of young trees, among other things, and benefits forestry, an aspect that is often forgotten in the public debate about large predators.

Proximity to lynx male Kilian

Since her release, Vreni has had an activity radius of about 7 km² in the area near her release enclosure in the central Thuringian Forest. This means she still covers a small area. However, this is normal for a newly released animal A female lynx living in the wild usually has a home range of over 50 km². «Based on the latest transmitter data, we suspect that Kilian, the male lynx from Nuremberg that was released together with Vreni, is still in her vicinity,» explains Markus Port. Vreni and Kilian had shared a compartment of the coordination enclosure in the Wildkatzendorf Hütscheroda and got along very well there.

Translocation

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Press Release, Progretto Lince Italia, 28.09.2024:

«With this new female, we will allow the territorial male FLORI to mate with a non-related female, thus increasing the genetic diversity of lynx in the area,» explained ULyCA Project Coordinator Paolo Molinari. In the Italian south-eastern Alps, we are currently monitoring 3 male lynx, but no female.

All lynx currently present in the Italian south-eastern Alps are oƯspring of lynx reintroduced in the frame of LIFE Lynx project. From 2021 to 2023, six lynx had been released in the Slovenian southeastern Alps to create a stepping-stone population able to expand and eventually connect with the Dinaric population. Additionally, five lynx had been released in the Italian south-eastern Alps as part of the ULyCA project. The core area of this newly created steppingstone population lies in the Slovenian Julian Alps. Four out of six released females have successfully reproduced. At least 16 kittens in 7 litters were born.

LUNA is reinforcing the still small lynx occurrence in the south-eastern Alps. She is a young female born in May 2023 in the wildcat village of Hütscheroda in central Germany, where she was specifically prepared to be released into the wild. She can potentially give birth to her first kittens in 2025. Luna is also the 8. lynx released within Linking Lynx, a project that brings together experts from zoos, wildlife parks and reintroduction projects with the common goal to connect the existing lynx populations in Central Europe in such a way that the exchange between the individual populations can take place in the future via natural dispersal: Connecting the isolated lynx populations with each other is extremely important for the longterm survival of the species in Central Europe.

Background

ULyCA is a project of the Carabinieri Forestali, and Progetto Lince Italia of the University of Turin is in charge of the technical and logistic aspects. The support received from WWF Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria is very important, as well as the collaboration of the working group «hunting and lynx» which unites the regional hunting associations, the biodiversity department of Friuli Venezia Giulia and regional veterinary authority (ASUFC). A broad network of collaborations has led to the release of the lynx today: the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the Deutscher Wildgehegeverband are collaborating with the reintroduction and release projects within the Linking Lynx network and LUNA has been sourced as part of this common endeavour to conserve the Carpathian lynx metapopulation.

Translocation

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Ministry of the Environment, BUND, WWF and ThüringenForst, 27/08/2024:

Erfurt/Berlin. As part of the species conservation project „Luchs Thüringen – Europas Luchse vernetzen“ two more lynx were successfully released into the wild in the central Thuringian Forest today. The young lynx Vreni and Kilian are following in the footsteps of Frieda and Viorel, who were released in this region in May 2024. A female lynx with cubs was also recently recorded by a wildlife camera in the southern Thuringian Forest. The unexpected lynx offspring is the first recorded lynx reproduction in the Thuringian Forest for over 150 years and a pleasant surprise for the entire project team. Together with their reintroduced conspecifics, the young lynx are laying the first foundations for a long-term stable lynx population in the Thuringian Forest.

Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele (represented on site today by State Secretary for the Environment Vogel) explains: ‘I am delighted with every progress of this pioneering European project - both the further reintroduction and the first lynx offspring in the Thuringian Forest. With a stable lynx population in the Thuringian Forest, we are getting step by step closer to our common goal of a well-connected lynx population in Germany and Central Europe.’

Female lynx Vreni, born in spring 2023 at Langenberg Zoo in Switzerland, and male lynx Kilian, from Nuremberg Zoo, come from the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation breeding programme for the Carpathian lynx. They grew up in large, near-natural enclosures. In April 2024, the animals arrived at the BUND Wildcat Village in Hütscheroda and initially moved into an enclosure specially built for the reintroduction of lynxes. Here they were prepared for life in the wild and their behaviour was thoroughly observed. ‘Both lynx showed a pronounced shyness towards humans right from the start,’ explains Dr Max Boxleitner, lynx expert at WWF Germany, ’after a positive assessment by a panel of experts, they were fitted with GPS collar transmitters at the beginning of August and transferred to our reintroduction enclosure in the Thuringian Forest. The data from the collars will help us to monitor the animals‘ spatial behaviour in the wild.’

The lynxes Frieda and Viorel, who were released into the wild in May 2024, have settled in well to their new surroundings. The GPS data from their collar transmitters show that Frieda is mainly roaming in the vicinity of Oberhof, while Viorel has already undertaken longer trips and has even ventured as far as the Franconian Forest. ‘Both lynxes are proving to be skilful hunters. With the help of GPS data, we have already been able to track down prey killed by the lynx in the field on several occasions,’ explains Dr Markus Port, conservation biologist at BUND Thüringen and the University of Göttingen.

Viorel may already have had contact with other lynx in the southern Thuringian Forest. ‘The data from our camera traps, which we have set up in southern Thuringia since autumn 2023, suggest that there are at least three different lynx in the area bordering Bavaria,’ adds Port. The photo of the female lynx with her cubs, which was sent to the Schönbrunn Forestry Office in mid-August, also comes from this area. ‘We are delighted with the unexpected lynx reproduction,’ says Jürgen Boddenberg, Head of Forest Nature Conservation at ThüringenForst. ‘It shows that our forests offer the lynx an excellent habitat. And proves that the timing of our project is well chosen to support the tentative beginnings of the Thuringian-Bavarian lynx population through targeted reintroduction.’ The origin of the female lynx is not yet known. She probably migrated to the Thuringian Forest via the Franconian Forest. Between 2016 and 2023, a total of four orphaned young lynx were relocated from the Bavarian Forest to northern Bavaria, where they have successfully reproduced.

Background:
The "Luchs Thüringen – Europas Luchse vernetzen" project will run until the end of August 2027 and is being implemented as part of the "Förderung von Vorhaben zur Entwicklung von Natur und Landschaft" (ENL) of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation (TMUEN) - and is being jointly funded by BUND Thüringen and BUND Bundesverband, WWF Germany, the Wildcat Village Hütscheroda, ThüringenForst, the Thuringian State Hunting Association, the UNESCO Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve, the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, Georg August University Göttingen and the Romanian project partners ACDB and Romsilva. The project is part of the European lynx expert network Linking Lynx, which is dedicated to the conservation and connectivity of lynx populations in Central Europe. The Ministry of the Environment is supporting the project with around 2.9 million euros until 2027, of which one fifth comes from the Thuringian state budget and the remaining 80 per cent is co-financed by EU ENL funds.

Translocation

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, 26/08/2024:

Today (26 August), the fifth lynx was released into the wild in Saxony's Westerzgebirge region. According to the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the transport and release of the almost one-and-a-half-year-old lynx Anton went smoothly. As soon as the slider of the transport crate had opened a little, Anton seized his chance and leapt into the wild.

Anton grew up in a large breeding enclosure in a Belgian zoo and has spent the last few months being prepared for his release into the wild in the coordination enclosure of the wild cat village of Hütscheroda in Thuringia. He has passed all the behavioural tests and health checks required for release into the wild. Like all lynx released as part of the ‘RELynx Saxony’ project, Anton was also fitted with a GPS transmitter collar for the scientific monitoring of the project.

Saxony's Environment Minister Wolfram Günther: ‘Around three hundred years after their extinction in Saxony, we have been bringing the lynx back since this spring. This is a major milestone in our endeavours to preserve biodiversity. The lynx belongs in our forests. In the future, the lynx should colonise the Ore Mountains and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and thus form a bridge between the Harz Mountains and the lynx population in Bavaria and Eastern Europe. I am delighted that Anton is the fifth animal to find a home in the Westerzgebirge today. I wish him and all the lynx already living here or living here in the future that they settle in well and establish a stable lynx population together.’

All of the animals released into the wild so far, the two cats Nova and Alva and the two cubs Juno and Chapo, are still on site. This is a sign that they feel at home in the Saxon forests. They find sufficient food and quiet retreats here, which they use as sleeping places during the day. As the transmitter data and analyses of the photo trap monitoring show, the lynx are aware of each other. Although they tend to avoid each other outside the mating season and roam alone, this population nucleus of cats and cubs offers the best conditions for the first Saxon lynx offspring in 2025. In spring 2025, the project team is still hoping for wild females from the Swiss Jura that could participate in reproduction. Offspring in the initial phase of such a project is very important in order to stabilise the population and increase genetic diversity. The signs are good that a stable stepping stone population can quickly establish itself in the Ore Mountains.

News from the four lynxes already released into the wild

Chapo, who was released into the wild on 10 July, initially stayed in the immediate vicinity of the release site and then quickly explored the area south of Eibenstock. While he initially only fed on small mammals such as mice, he killed his first deer after around three weeks. In addition, on 29 July, GPS locations of Chapo and the one year older Kuder Juno were only 50 metres apart. It cannot be ruled out that the two male lynxes met. What is certain is that they now know about each other. Lynx divide up the available habitat by setting olfactory boundaries using scent marks. After taking his first deer on his own, Chapo is currently staying in the Platten area in the Czech Republic.

After exploring the Ore Mountains over a large area, the other three lynxes now seem to have established fixed territories. The territories of the two cats hardly overlap at present: Nova has a territory around Eibenstock to Zschorlau, Alva from Schönheide to Graslitz in the Czech Republic. Juno's home range is between Wildenthal, Oberwildenthal and Wilzschmühle and includes parts of both lynx cat territories.

The ‘RELynx Saxony’ project was launched in September 2022 on behalf of the Saxon Ministry of the Environment (SMEKUL). The Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz and the Chair of Forest Zoology at the Technical University of Dresden are involved in the project. The LfULG is in charge of the project. The practical measures are supported by the state enterprise Sachsenforst.

SCALP

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The distribution map for the lynx year 2020/2021 is based on data from nine countries and five populations. The map shows the observed lynx occurrences in a 10x10 km grid. A distinction is made between different SCALP categories and whether a reproduction event has taken place or not. The collected data is classified into three categories: Category 1 (C1) includes undisputed observations such as clear photos of lynx and genetically confirmed samples. Category 2 (C2) includes expert-verified observations such as killed prey and lynx tracks. Category 3 (C3) includes unconfirmed but plausible observations. Reproductive evidence includes photos of lynx cubs or females with cubs.

This map has some limitations. For example, GPS data from tagged lynx are not included in the map. In addition, the distribution data shown is incomplete in some areas (e.g. Bavaria), which affects the overall view of the lynx population.

Special observations

In the reporting year, reproductive events were reported in the French Alps, while no reproduction was detected in the Limestone Alps (Upper Austria) for the second year in a row. At least five cubs from two different litters were recorded in the German Palatinate Forest.
Independent lynx were also documented for the first time in the Türnitz region of Lower Austria and in the Wildalpen region of Styria. In addition, a lynx from the Dinaric Mountains temporarily migrated to the Julian Alps. From the reintroduction project in north-west Poland, two lynx migrated to the Czech Republic and three to Saxony: one lynx moved back to Poland, the second moved on to Thuringia and the third remained in Saxony for some time before it could no longer be detected. In 2020, five lynx were relocated from the Romanian and Slovakian Carpathians to the Dinaric Mountains.

Background and objectives of the SCALP project

The project «Status and Conservation of the Alpine Lynx Population» (SCALP) has been coordinating the monitoring, protection and management of the Eurasian lynx in the Alps since 1995. Since 2013, standardised distribution maps have been produced regularly in collaboration with lynx experts from neighbouring regions. These maps enable the comparison of monitoring data between different regions, countries and populations and promote cooperation in conservation measures. Only thanks to the cooperation of a large number of organisations and individuals from different countries was it possible to compile the monitoring report.

> To the SCALP Monitoring Report

Translocation

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, 07/08/2024:

«Finja was the first female lynx to be released into the wild in the Black Forest in December last year as part of the project to support the lynx population in Baden-Württemberg. She died seven months later. The animal underwent an intensive veterinary pathological examination. Experts identified the cause of death as distemper, an infectious disease that is comparatively common in foxes and martens but very rare in cats,» said the Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, Peter Hauk MdL, in Stuttgart on Wednesday (7 August).

Finja came from a wildlife enclosure in Thuringia and was prepared for release into the wild in a special enclosure in Rhineland-Palatinate. Since her release into the wild, she had, like her conspecifics, regularly preyed on deer and occasionally hares and foxes. At the beginning of July, during a routine check for a possible bite, Finja the lynx cat was found alive but in a very poor condition in the northern Black Forest. All rescue attempts failed, so the animal had to be euthanised.

«The case of Finja illustrates the complexity of the reintroduction project and that such losses are unfortunately always to be expected in the wild,» emphasised Minister Hauk.

Canine distemper very common in foxes and martens, extremely rare in lynxes

Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that is widespread in Germany and occurs mainly in canines and martens as well as raccoons and seals. Very rarely, lynxes can also become infected with the virus, for example through direct physical contact via nasal and eye secretions or indirectly via objects that have been contaminated with secretions, urine or faeces from sick animals. Since Finja, as is typical for a wild lynx, also killed foxes in addition to her main prey, infection via an infected fox is likely.

Very isolated cases of distemper in lynxes are also known from other regions such as Switzerland. However, these are very rare. ‘As distemper primarily affects canines, such as foxes, and lynxes rarely fall ill, the disease does not pose a significant risk to a lynx population. Vaccination of lynx is therefore not indicated according to current knowledge,’ explains Dr Marco Roller, veterinarian at Karlsruhe Zoo (partner in the lynx project). There is currently no distemper vaccine authorised for lynx in Germany.

Background information

The project launched by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection (MLR) to support the lynx population in the Black Forest is being realised by the Forest Research Institute (FVA) in cooperation with the State Hunting Association, WWF Germany and Karlsruhe Zoo as project partners.

Up to ten lynx, especially females, are to be released into the wild in the Black Forest by 2027 to support the population.

Translocation

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The one-year-old lynx was originally intended as a breeding animal for the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The young lynx (born in 2023) grew up with his two brothers in a large lynx enclosure (1860m2) at Nuremberg Zoo under special conditions. In particular, care was taken to minimise contact with the animal keepers and to feed them exclusively meat of wild prey species. All three brothers were categorised by experts from the Linking Lynx Network as shy and potentially suitable for reintroduction. One of them was earmarked for reintroduction in Thuringia. This lynx was to remain in the EEP as further suitable breeding animals are needed.

At the beginning of June, the lynx was transported from Nuremberg to the lynx enclosure at the Rabenklippe in the Harz Mountains. Shortly after its arrival, the lynx managed to escape over the fence of the enclosure. It was recaptured shortly afterwards using an anaesthetic gun and then spent some time in a closed enclosure. Handling the animal proved to be difficult. The lynx kept trying to find a way out of the enclosure and found it difficult to calm down. As it obviously found it difficult to acclimatise to its new surroundings, with its welfare in mind those responsible decided to release the lynx into the wild instead.

The Carpathian lynx, which had already undergone all the necessary health checks, was then brought to Saxony. There it was released into the wild in July as part of the «ReLynx Saxony project». As a wild lynx, it will now help to establish a new lynx population in Saxony. This will act as a so-called stepping stone population, i.e. a link between existing European lynx populations. It will thus contribute to the networking of the Carpathian lynx population in Europe.

The necessary authorisations from the Free State of Saxony for the reintroduction have been granted. The process leading up to the reintroduction was supported by experts from the Linking Lynx network.

Translocation

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Press release Baden-Württemberg, Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, 10 July 2024:

«The lynx Finja was a pioneer and should lay the foundation for a permanent and healthy lynx population in Baden-Württemberg and contribute to supporting the population. In December last year, she was successfully released into the wild and roamed the northern Black Forest. During a routine check for a possible bite, the animal was found alive but in a very poor condition in the northern Black Forest. The vets from Karlsruhe Zoo were called in immediately. They initiated the first rescue measures. Unfortunately, all veterinary measures were unable to stabilise the lynx's condition. As no treatment was effective and to prevent further suffering, the animal unfortunately had to be put down. This is sad, but unfortunately it can also be part of the reality of reintroduction projects,» said Peter Hauk, Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection.

Finja came from a wildlife enclosure in Thuringia and was prepared for release into the wild in a special enclosure in Rhineland-Palatinate. Following genetic, medical and behavioural ecology tests, the lynx cat met all the requirements. Since being released into the wild, she had, like her conspecifics, regularly preyed on deer and occasionally hares and foxes.

The lynx cat Finja could be localised via her collar transmitter. Wildlife cameras were also used to take regular pictures of her, in which she always appeared healthy. The causes of her death are currently being investigated. This will take several weeks until all investigations have been finalised.

«Even if such a loss cannot be ruled out, this is a very sad moment. We had hoped that Finja could contribute to the reestablishment of a lynx population with cubs in the Black Forest. Despite the loss of Finja, we will stick to our plans and introduce more lynx to the state,» emphasised the Minister.

Reproduction

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0200

LIFE Lynx Project, Slovenia, 01/07/2024:

In mid-March, we reported that a young male lynx named Miha was captured and equipped with the telemetry collar on the Jelovica plateau. Soon after his release back into the forests, we noticed that he was meeting with a female lynx Talia, who was translocated and released near Tarvisio in the scope of the ULyCA2 project. After her release in Italy, Talia established her territory in Slovenia on Jelovica plateau. Since it was still time of the lynx mating season, we were delighted to discover that at the end of May, lynx Talia gave birth to two lynx kittens. For now, we cannot confirm that lynx Miha is the father of these kittens, however the date of their encounter fits perfectly with the time of the births of these two kittens.

After potential mating with Talia, lynx Miha moved away from Jelovica, towards Posočje region, where he stayed for the most of the time since his monitoring with telemetry. It is still too early to estimate his home range size, so hopefully telemetry will enable us to do this in the near future.

Translocation

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:00:00 +0200

On Wednesday evening (15 May), two lynx were released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest as part of the "Luchs Thüringen – Europas Luchse vernetzen" project. The project partners are celebrating this event as a decisive milestone in the reintroduction and networking of lynx populations in Germany and Central Europe. The first two animals to be released into the wild are lynx Frieda and lynx Viorel. Frieda grew up in Germany's first coordination enclosure in Hütscheroda. Viorel is a wild catch from the Romanian Carpathians. Both lynxes were transferred to a reintroduction enclosure in the central Thuringian Forest at the end of April. Two more lynxes from the enclosure will follow Frieda and Viorel into the wild in late summer. The aim is to release up to five lynx into the wild every year for the next four years.

Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele: "This is a pioneering European project with our partners from Romania and the lynx enclosure in Hütscheroda. Our goal is to establish a healthy and stable lynx population in the Thuringian Forest, with which we can gradually connect the lynx populations in Germany and Central Europe. This project is enormously important for this - and I would like to thank the many partners who are contributing to its success."

Dr Markus Port, lynx expert at BUND Thüringen: "The lynx has accompanied BUND Thüringen for many years and now we are able to accompany it on its return to its original habitat. We are very proud of this. Especially as our many years of involvement provide the basis for the current project. Thanks to the monitoring, we have in-depth knowledge of the species‘ presence in Thuringia and can now set the course for the lynx's permanent return to Thuringia's forests."

Dr Max Boxleitner, Project Manager "Luchs Thüringen" at WWF Germany: "The future of the lynx in Germany will be decided in Thuringia. We need the Thuringian forests as connecting corridors between the lynx populations in the Harz Mountains and the Bavarian Forest. But the region also plays a crucial role beyond the state borders for the lynx population in Central Europe as a hub to ensure genetic exchange between the populations."

Dr Katrin Vogel, Managing Director of Wildtierland Hainich gGmbH: "I am delighted that Frieda is now the fourth lynx from our offspring in the BUND Wildcat Village to roam freely through European forests - the first lynx cat here in Thuringia. Anyone who would like to meet her parents or siblings is very welcome in Hütscheroda."

The lynx were released into the wild using the so-called soft release method, in which the lynx were kept in the release enclosure for two to four weeks before being released. This was intended to allow the animals to acclimatise gently to their new environment. The animals were also able to sniff each other out in two separate parts of the enclosure before they were released. Both lynxes were fitted with GPS collars so that their movements could be monitored in the first few months after their release.

The "Luchs Thüringen – Europas Luchse vernetzen" project will run until the end of August 2027 and is being implemented as part of the ‘Funding of projects for the development of nature and landscape’ (ENL) programme of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation (TMUEN) - and is being implemented jointly by BUND Thüringen and BUND Bundesverband, WWF Germany, the Wildcat Village Hütscheroda, ThüringenForst, the Thuringian State Hunting Association, the UNESCO Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve, the Thuringian Forest Nature Park, Georg August University Göttingen and the Romanian project partners ACDB and Romsilva. The Ministry of the Environment is supporting the project with around 2.9 million euros until 2027, of which one fifth comes from the Thuringian state budget and the remaining 80 per cent is co-financed by EU ENL funds.

Additional quotes:

Frank Herrmann, State Director of the LJV Thuringia: "With the release of the two lynx here in the ridges of the Thuringian Forest, monitoring by the highly motivated and trained lynx officers of the hunting organisations is also picking up speed. We are very excited to see whether the two new arrivals will be able to establish contact with the lynxes that have been sporadically detected in the border area between northern Bavaria and the High Slate Mountains for years and thus take an important step towards connecting the populations."

Dr Tiemo Kahl, UNESCO Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve Officer: "As a hotspot of biodiversity in Germany, the UNESCO Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve is delighted about the arrival of the lynx. These important apex predators will enrich the ecosystem in many ways."

Ralf Kirchner, Deputy Managing Director, Thuringian Forest Nature Park: "The last lynx in the Thuringian Forest was wiped out over 200 years ago. Today we can finally celebrate its return! I am often asked by locals and tourists: Can lynxes even survive in these damaged forests? The chances have never been better in the last 200 years! The lynx has a future in the nature park because it is very welcome. Its return to the Thuringian Forest is the cornerstone for the future of the lynx in Germany."

Translocation

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Alva was caught in the Swiss Jura at the beginning of March. She spent the following three weeks in quarantine at the Bern Zoo, where she was examined and vaccinated. Alva is three years old, healthy and genetically suitable for establishing a new lynx population in Saxony.

The female lynx set off on her long journey on 28 March 2024 and arrived in the local forests in the early evening. She may have already looked around in her transport box for a suitable hiding place: As soon as the lattice was opened, the petite Alva nimbly disappeared between young spruce trees off to the side of the path.

Translocation

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Juno arrived in his transport box during the night and was released into the forest in the early hours of the morning. He didn't seem to be in any particular hurry, walked slowly out of the box, looked around and then jumped into the bushes. Juno is two years old and comes from the «wild cat village of Hütscheroda» in Thuringia. Here he grew up with as little human contact as possible and was already prepared for life in the forest. Before he was resettled, Juno had to pass a temperament test: The lynx was observed intensively and his reactions tested. Juno proved to be extremely shy and is therefore ideally suited to life in the wild. He is healthy and able to reproduce.

Nova is a wild catch: she was caught in the Swiss Jura on the evening of 24 February. She was then quarantined for three weeks, underwent a veterinary examination and was vaccinated. As a healthy and genetically suitable female lynx, nothing stood in the way of her travelling to Saxony: Nova was released into her new home immediately after travelling from Switzerland. She launched off into the wild and ran straight away along a forest path. The cat is three to six years old and has already had kittens, which can be recognised by her teats.

Both animals have GPS collars and can be tracked by the project team. Nova is keen to run and explore and most recently stayed around 15 kilometres away from the release site. Juno still has to get used to his new freedom and is initially exploring the area around the release site.

New Coordination Enclosure

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A 5,000 square metre enclosure will be built this year at Oberwald Zoo, the branch of Karlsruhe Zoo in the middle of the forest. This will be used to prepare lynxes for release into the wild.

«We are extremely proud to be able to build and then look after this important building block for future lynx population support,» says zoo director Dr Matthias Reinschmidt, who is delighted to have been given the go-ahead to build the coordination enclosure: «It fits in very well with our strategy of converting the traditional zoo into a species conservation centre. We are particularly pleased that we have also received a lot of support for the coordination enclosure from the Lord Mayor, and relevant authorities.»

The centre will have four sections of roughly equal size as well as a smaller separation enclosure for animal transfers that are as stress-free as possible. The estimated construction costs of around 300,000 euros will be paid for by WWF Germany, the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation and project funds from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection (MLR).

Europe-wide reintroductions could be supplied from Karlsruhe

The decision to build the strategically very important facility in Karlsruhe was made by the Ministry in consultation with the Linking Lynx expert network. «The coordination enclosure in Karlsruhe will make an important contribution to national and international reintroduction projects as well as to the networking of lynx populations in Central Europe,» says Linking Lynx coordinator Dr Kristina Vogt.

In addition to supporting the population in Baden-Württemberg, other projects in Germany and Europe could be supplied with lynx from Karlsruhe. There are currently more than 20 breeding pairs in zoos of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), whose future cubs are eligible for release into the wild, including the newly formed pair at Karlsruhe Zoo.

«The lynx are provided by the EAZA breeding programme and coordinated by Linking Lynx. The enclosure complex in Karlsruhe is being built as part of the 'Lynx Baden-Württemberg' project and fulfils the strict scientific requirements for breeding and preparing the animals for release into the wild,» explains Vogt.

«The state project aims to release up to ten lynxes, especially females, into the wild in the Black Forest by 2027,» says Eva Klebelsberg, Head of «Lynx Baden-Württemberg» at the Forest Research Centre (FVA). In future, young animals aged between six and eight months will spend six to nine months in the Karlsruhe coordination enclosure.

This will be set up away from the visitor paths in the forest to avoid human-animal contact - the zoo staff will also largely keep their distance. «We will install cameras to be able to observe the animals better,» explains Dr Marco Roller, zoo vet and curator for Oberwald Zoo.

Optimally preparing lynxes for an independent life

During their time in Karlsruhe, the animals should also be fed as naturally as possible. «Deer are particularly suitable for this, which are fed to the animals dead but as a whole body,» Roller continues. According to the zoo vet, there are local and regional co-operations with the hunting community, who are regularly notified of deer killed in road traffic.

The aim is to optimally prepare the lynxes for an independent life in the wild. Before this step is taken, however, the animals destined for reintroduction into the wild undergo extensive veterinary examinations and their behaviour is tested. «Close and trusting cooperation, especially with the hunting community, is then essential for the reintroduction to different locations,» emphasises Klebelsberg. The Baden-Württemberg State Hunting Association also supports the project.

«There are currently between two and five male lynx, known as Kuder, in the Black Forest, which have migrated to Baden-Württemberg from Switzerland. However, the females do not travel far from their birthplace. This is why the lynx populations can hardly expand spatially and occupy the habitat that is actually most suitable,» Klebelsberg continues.

Last December, the female Finja was the first lynx to be released into the wild in the northern Black Forest as part of the project. The region chosen by those responsible was the area where Toni, the resident Kuder, roams. Toni migrated from Switzerland to the Black Forest back in 2019, established a territory there and has been travelling extensively in search of a mate during the mating season ever since. He will now be now be joined by a mate called Finja.

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The listing proposal was submitted by the member states North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, and Uzbekistan. In addition, the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group and the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention (represented by the United Nations Environment Programme Office in Vienna) have submitted a related Concerted Action proposal. Both proposals were accepted without opposition, but with favourable statements from the EU and several Central Asian Parties.

The Concerted Action Proposal suggests several activities for the four southern subspecies of the Eurasian lynx. For the Carpathian lynx (Lynx lynx carpathicus), actions proposed include:

Production of a summary report on the conservation status of the Carpathian lynx.
The development of a Conservation Strategy for the lynx in the Carpathian bow, in cooperation with the Range States, the Carpathian Convention, the Bern Convention, and CMS.
Develop IUCN Guidelines for the recovery (reintroduction, reinforcement and connectivity) of the Carpathian lynx in West and Central Europe, based on the «Bonn Recommendations».

The Conservation Strategy for the lynx in the Carpathians will outline the recovery (where needed) and maintenance of a viable population across the mountain range in a «favourable conservation status». The Guidelines will help to streamline the reintroductions and reinforcements needed to build a viable population of Carpathian lynx in West and Central Europe, where the first Carpathian lynx were released more than 50 years ago. The «Bonn Recommendations» and the various protocols developed by the Linking Lynx expert network will form the basis and for both strategic documents.

Reintroduction

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The aim is to reintroduce up to 20 lynx into the wild in the German state of «Thüringen» over the next four years. The reintroduction of lynx in the Thuringian Forest aims to strengthen the connection between the lynx populations in the Bavarian Forest and the Harz Mountains in order to ensure genetic exchange and secure the long-term future of the lynx in Central Europe.

The «Lynx Thüringen»-project is supported by a broad alliance of ten organisations, consisting of stakeholders in nature conservation, forestry, hunting and authorities, and is coordinated by BUND Thüringen and WWF Germany. In addition to lynx from the lynx enclosure in the wildcat village of Hütscheroda, lynx from the Romanian Carpathians are also being released into the wild - two Romanian partner organisations are involved in the project for this purpose. The project is being funded by the Ministry of the Environment with almost 2.9 million euros and plays a key role in creating a population nucleus between the established lynx habitats in Germany.

Professional training

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In January 2024, representatives of various lynx reintroduction projects in Germany (Thüringen, Sachsen, Baden-Württemberg) took part in a workshop on lynx trapping. This took place in Switzerland at the Institute of Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI) at the University of Bern and was organised by the FIWI in collaboration with the KORA Foundation.

The workshop covered a wide range of topics. The basics were taught in a theory block, followed by practical exercises. Various trapping systems (box traps, snare traps, remote-controlled anaesthetic gun) and transmitter collars were presented, and chemical immobilisation, anaesthetic monitoring, transport, and possible problems during trapping were discussed. All participants found the accompanying dialogue valuable.

The Linking Lynx network will continue to facilitate the exchange of such experiences and knowledge in the future.

Translocation

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Finja comes from a wildlife enclosure in the German state of «Thüringen». She was prepared for her release into the wild in «Rheinland-Pfalz» and met all the genetic, health and behavioural requirements.

Finja was released in an area of suitable habitat where no female lynx had previously been recorded. Male lynx have repeatedly immigrated to Baden-Württemberg, especially from Switzerland. With the release of Finja, there are hopes that she will breed with a wild male. This reintroduced lynx population would then contribute towards the stepping stone populations to connect the individual European lynx populations. For the long-term survival of the species in Central Europe, connecting these isolated populations is crucial.

The state government of Baden-Württemberg authorities such as the FVA, as well as the WWF Germany, the Karlsruhe Zoo and the state hunting association worked together to release Finja into the wild. Linking Lynx protocols were implemented during the release. The plan is to release up to nine more female lynx into the wild in the same area by 2027.

To the press release of the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg.